One of my favorite forms of social media is the digital reading log, Goodreads. I may only have a total of 5 friends on there, but I find more enjoyment in the 10 minutes I scroll on Goodreads than I do in the hours I spend every week on Instagram or TikTok.
Now that may say something about me and how I choose to spend my time, but I think it also shows how social media can be good sometimes.
Goodreads creates a space for interesting conversations about literature and fosters a community that goes beyond the surface level relationships that other popular social media platforms create.
Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself: Goodreads is a website where you can create a personal account to log and review the books you read or want to read.
With more than 150 million users, Goodreads is the biggest social media platform for readers and writers. On the platform, readers can connect to others with the same taste and the authors of their favorite books.
On Goodreads I don’t feel the pressure to look perfect. There is no pressure to post about that vacation you went on or the new car you just got. It’s a refreshing break from the material glorification that social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok perpetuate.
Instead, Goodreads motivates me to read more books. It motivates me to beat myself at my own game with my yearly reading challenge. There’s a spark of competitiveness that lights up inside me every time I look at my friends’ progress with their reading challenges.
Instead of being sucked in to hours of mindless scrolling, I find that I am actively engaging with media I’m seeing. I am reading book previews and adding some of those books to my TBR.
My favorite thing to do on Goodreads is analyzing and reviewing that books that I am reading or those that I have finished. It’s a good way to sort through thoughts that I’ve had about the books that I am reading and compare them to those I have already read.
But my favorite thing about the platform is that I don’t have to hide/change my thoughts on the media that I am consuming. I just don’t feel the heat of judgement from other users on Goodreads as I would sharing my opinions on a site such as Instagram. Â
On Goodreads, I am going to log the books I read, and I am going to read what I like. I am going to rate a book I enjoyed with a rating that I think it deserves, not what others say it should be. I’ve come to terms with the fact that my rating will not always match up with the most popular rating of the book.
So, if you haven’t joined Goodreads, here’s your sign. Create an account and join in on the fun. If you do have an account, follow me!! goodreads.com/abbeytaber712